Indian restaurant Rasoi has recently opened its door in the Maasstraat in Amsterdam-Zuid. In a refined setting you will discover the pearls of real Indian cuisine.
Love tikka massala and biryani? Chances are you’ve fallen for a western fusion variation that is miles away from the original. Adapted to our tastes, but also to what is available here. In Europe, for example, Indian restaurants often use cream, while this is not common at all in India. Of course, a creamy curry tastes great, but can you imagine what this sweet addition does to the beautiful, exotic, perfume-like flavours of the herbs. Not to mention what a shame it is to destroy all the work that goes into making homemade spice mixes with a load of cream. Enter: ready-to-use herb mixes. And with that, the essence of Indian cuisine, the craftsmanship, knowledge and pride of the chef, have been lost from many dishes.
The owners of Rasoi, Rajiv Mehra and his associate Ashish Sharma, could no longer bear this fusion dilution of their beloved cuisine and decided to open a restaurant to showcase the real India. All of India, because at Rasoi the entire Indian food culture is reviewed, from north to south and from east to west. With so much ambition, you obviously need a chef who can make this happen. Rasoi has not one, but two. Chef Ajit Athale and sous chef Rohit Singh both worked at Oberoi Hotels and elsewhere in the world. Executive chef Ajit gained experience in bucket-list star establishments such as Brae in Australia and 11 Madison Park in New York. Not only the delicious smells, but also the ambitions waft out of the kitchen here. They don’t use prefab seasonings and spice mixes: everything is roasted, ground and mixed in-house. The curry on your plate may take two days of work. And yes, you can taste it!
Classics and signature dishes
Indian cuisine has no right to exist without a tandoor, so the Asian clay oven, filled with charcoal, is also prominent in Maasstraat. Half of the menu consists of real Indian classics and the other half of signature dishes such as Kerala fish curry, Aloo Gobhi Paneer – a paneer with mashed potatoes and cauliflower tandoori – and a heck of a Laal Maas (slow-cooked lamb) based on a recipe from Rajasthan. Rasoi is divided into two areas, the lounge and the restaurant area, both of which exude the warm atmosphere of a fashionable, luxurious hotel environment. The lounge has its own menu with bites that can also be ordered as appetizers.
From Tuesday to Sunday, Rasoi serves an (almost completely vegetarian) lunch menu from 12 to 5. Rasoi is also open for take-away and delivery from Tuesday to Sunday. You can order lunch from 12 to 5 and the regular menu is available from 4 to 10 pm. Please note: As long as Covid restrictions apply, there will be changed opening hours.
rasoiamsterdam.nl